Cholesterol total 227

HDL 103

LDL 116

Ratio 2.2

Triglycerides 39

This is maintained with flush Niacin. When I go off it the numbers slowly start to look less desirable. I have been on Niacin for years. I just hope there aren't any problems related to long-term use.

How much niacin do you take daily...? and at what intervals...?

Re: Niacin: I take 500mg Am and 500 mg PM

ballady,

Your numbers are GREAT!

ballady,

Your numbers are GREAT!

Thanks Lenin. I was just wondering if I should continue the Niacin.

I have been on Niacin for years. I just hope there aren't any problems related to long-term use.

Niacin can be hard on the liver, so you need to make sure you are having LFTs (liver function tests like AST and ALT) done periodically. If those are good, I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks Lenin. I was just wondering if I should continue the Niacin.

I think that goven your extremely hiogh HDL levels you might wisely cut your niacin dosage in half and see what your get.

I think that goven your extremely hiogh HDL levels you might wisely cut your niacin dosage in half and see what your get.

Is there a problem with the HDL being too high or is your reasoning that because it's high I don't need as much?

Right on the second. There no sense overmedicating to get SUPER-SUPER good HDL...SUPER is good enough.
I believe that the least amount of any drug to get the job done is the BEST amount.

Right on the second. There no sense overmedicating to get SUPER-SUPER good HDL...SUPER is good enough.
I believe that the least amount of any drug to get the job done is the BEST amount.

Righto!

HI! I just got my numbers and they are similar to ballady's. I am not on any heart medication.

Total 209

Tri20

HDL100

LDL105

Ratio 2.1

My question is about the low tri--does anyone have any idea what this is about?? I saw on the net that very low tri's under 10 may be malnutrition, malabsorption or overactive thyroid. I have a thyroid condition, hypo not overactive but a few weeks before the test my hypo went hyper because of over medication but I had thought this would have cleared through my system.

Also a week earlier my liver enzymes were slightly about 4-8 over range for both ALT and AST, I think the doc is wondering whether that was the brief experience of overactive thyroid.

The doc is going to retest both lipid and liver panels and thyroid as well in about a month.
But I was wondering if anyone had any other thoughts about the ALT/AST elevation together with the very low tri's.

On this point of the liver , I was taking probably too much of a B complex for the month prior to the tests. I didn't think it was too much at the time but in about six weeks my b12 went from top 2/3 of range to very top of range with the supplement. I wasn't doing the B complex for heart health but for overall health.My total daily niacin was 70 mg. Does anyone know if perhaps too much B could damage my liver? I thought if the B was too much you just release it in your urine? Any comments on this overall situation and specifically the liver would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Osteo,

I think all the B's are H2O soluble.

I am also Hypo/Hashi.

Also, did you have a fasting cholesterol? I had both done within 3 weeks of one another. The second (fasting) test has revealed different numbers, although within about the same range. I'm picking up the lab report next week and can't remember exactly what the nurse said but I do remember my HDL was lower at 95 and LDL higher. Can't remember the tri's. I'll report back next week if I see any great discrepancy but I do think it important to get a fasting panel for accuracy.

B and C vitamins are water soluble... meaning you pee away what you don't use.

Only A, D, E, and K are fat soluble... that is, they can accumulate in your body.

Ballady- yes I had fasted for the test.

VentureMan- OK so i understand that I will pee out what I don't need of the B's BUT do you know whether the B complex might overtax my liver???

And, about the triglycerides of 20---as far as I can tell this is wayyyyy low. Any comments on the triglycerides?

Ballady , as our numbers are quite close, are you a vegetarian too? Recently because of low iron , I needed to supplement and I ate meat for about six weeks in a project to get the iron up, and it is up. My doc says stop the iron and meat now. I should say my HDl was higher last year, and the ldl was lower. I think the six weeks of intensive meat affected the numbers. It will be interesting when I am re-checked in about 4 weeks, with no meat to see what happens. MY doc thinks that the meat would have negatively affected the numbers. Hypo's ,hashi's is what I have too and it has been a pain mostly because the iron really threw off my dose and it had to be upped and I went hyper and then I went hypo. Now without the iron supplements , things should stabilize for awhile I hope. How long have you been diagnosed with hypo-hashi's?

Try drinking booze... that is usually pretty good at raising Tri's.

When folks ask why you're a boozer... you can honestly say it's for your health... :D


Gosh... I've taken those extra potent B-complexes for years (you know, the kind where you are get 6665% of Thiamin, 5000% of B6, 1666% of B12, etc) and never have seen it raise my liver enzimes. They are always mid-point.

But when you dose high on anything, then I'm sure the potential is there to bother your liver. My 3070 mg of niacin I take each day likely isn't gental on my liver... that's for sure.

Osteoblast,


I think the six weeks of intensive meat affected the numbers. It will be interesting when I am re-checked in about 4 weeks, with no meat to see what happens. MY doc thinks that the meat would have negatively affected the numbers.

Make sure to let us know what happens! I am curious.

Ballady , as our numbers are quite close, are you a vegetarian too? . How long have you been diagnosed with hypo-hashi's?

Osteo,

Nope, not a vegetarian. I've been eating low carb for many years, so that means a lot of meat! Don't know if that would square well with your theory about meat and cholesterol numbers. My cholesterol numbers got much better when I started reducing carbs. This, plus taking flush Niacin, has helped to keep my genetically high cholesterol down.

I was diagnosed hypo-hashi in 1993.

Osteo,

Nope, not a vegetarian. I've been eating low carb for many years, so that means a lot of meat! Don't know if that would square well with your theory about meat and cholesterol numbers. My cholesterol numbers got much better when I started reducing carbs. This, plus taking flush Niacin, has helped to keep my genetically high cholesterol down.

I was diagnosed hypo-hashi in 1993.

ballady3- what is the exact type of niacin you're taking? I think I'd like to try this too.

Thanks.

ballady3- what is the exact type of niacin you're taking? I think I'd like to try this too.

Thanks.

Hi,

I take Flush Niacin. You have to start out very slow though because of the flushing effect. This can be reduced to nothing if you follow the recommendations, which I no longer have. But here is a suggestion in case you can't find any other info.

If you can find tabs instead of caplets you could start by dividing it into quarters.

Take 1 quarter after a meal for 4 or 5 days, then increase to 1/2 for the same amount of time. If you are experiencing flushing that is too uncomfortable you can always back down or stay at the previous dose longer, but doing it this way I had no problem.

You would eventually, depending on your cholesterol numbers, want to work up to about 750 to 1000 mg. a day, divided between breakfast and dinner. I have read here where some people take 1500, but that may not be necessary. I started with tabs but now take a 500 mg. caplet AM and PM ... after a meal.

Just make sure it is the "flush" niacin. Also, I was told not to use the time-release.

Hope this helps.

Cholesterol total 227

HDL 103

LDL 116

Ratio 2.2

Triglycerides 39



Another test was done one week after this:

Total 235

HDL 96

LDL 125

Triglycerides 70

Ratio 2.4

How it can change so much in one week I do not know. The doctor thought this very problematic. When I said I didn't think it that problematic because my HDL was still fairly high he actually laughed out loud at me ... and for a long time! He then said that the important number is not the HDL but the Total Cholesterol value. What do you make of all this?

Thanks

The doctor thought this very problematic. When I said I didn't think it that problematic because my HDL was still fairly high he actually laughed out loud at me ... and for a long time! He then said that the important number is not the HDL but the Total Cholesterol value.



I think your Doctor is an idiot on two fronts:

First, he should never give superior laughs at his patients for sharing their understanding of a subject. If he really thought you were incorrect, he should have politely explained to you why and left it at that.


Second, he is dead wrong about HDL. Plenty of scientific studies out there that find that HDL is a great transporter of cholesterol, thus keeping it from sticking to the artery walls. And if you subtract your "excessive" HDL numbers from your total-C, then your Tot-C would be 195... a very respectible number.

People would kill for a 2.4 ratio.

My advice...? Get yourself a new Doctor that has some humility. I know I would.

I think your Doctor is an idiot on two fronts:

First, he should never give superior laughs at his patients for sharing their their understanding of a subject. If he really thought you were incorrect, he should have politely explained to you why and left it at that.
My advice...? Get yourself a new Doctor that has some humility. I know I would.

Thanks Venture, my thoughts exactly!

The thing that still puzzles me, however, is the difference in my numbers in just one week.

Could be the amount or type of food you ate before fasting. Also, the number of fasting hours could make a difference too. I know that they require a 14 hour fast in the area I live... a 12 hour fast is now out the window.


My understanding of the need for a long fast is to make sure that all cholesterol in your blood from recent food sources is eliminated from the blood stream. What you will have left in your blood is the 'normalized' cholesterol values. Don't forget, your liver produces the vast majority of your body's cholesterol. You need cholesterol... it good for you. You just don't need an over abundance of LDL and Triglycerides.


Again, I think most would kill to have HDL at 100.